News

NFU Urges Plan to Protect Family Farmers from Brunt of Trade War

05 April 2018

US – In the latest of a series of tariff threats exchanged between the United States and China, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has announced plans to impose a 25 per cent tariff on $50 billion worth of US goods, including soybeans corn, beef, and other agricultural products

National Farmers Union (NFU), a family farmer-led organisation who supports aggressive efforts to fight unfair trade practices, is urging the Trump Administration to work with Congress to develop a Farm Bill that protects family farmers from harm as a result of retaliatory tariffs.

In response to the announcement, NFU President Roger Johnson said: "These tit-for-tat tariff threats were expected from the moment the administration first engaged China. The President and his administration continue to claim there won’t be a ‘trade war', and that agriculture won’t feel the brunt of retaliation, but the daily news announcements indicate otherwise.

"As trade tensions escalate, Farmers Union is increasingly concerned that there is not a plan in place to protect our family farmers and ranchers who are always the first to bear the brunt of retaliatory tariffs. Farmers are dealing with severely depressed farm prices and a 12-year low in farm income, and a trade war will undoubtedly make these conditions worse.

"We urge the President and the administration to immediately engage with the Senate and House Agriculture Committees to develop a Farm Bill that will protect farmers and ranchers from the collateral damage that we are seeing as a result of these actions."